


SDfSH: Bruce in Therapy

by literally_no_idea



Series: Service Dogs for Superheroes (SDfSH): Therapy, Bad Days, and Tasks [3]
Category: Marvel 616, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Aromantic Bruce Banner, Asexual Bruce Banner, Autism, Autism Spectrum, Autistic Bruce Banner, Bipolar Bruce Banner, Bipolar Disorder, Bruce Banner Feels, Bruce Banner Has Issues, Bruce Banner-centric, Bruce Has DID - Dissociative Identity Disorder, Bruce has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Don’t copy to another site, Gen, Insomnia, Insomniac Bruce Banner, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, SDfSH 'verse, Selectively Mute Bruce Banner, Service Animals, Service Dogs, selective mutism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-19 05:33:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19350517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/literally_no_idea/pseuds/literally_no_idea
Summary: Smash enters the room first, goes back out to nudge Bruce’s hand, and then she and Bruce enter the room together.“Hi Aaron!” Bruce says, taking a seat on the couch. He sits almost folded in on himself, like he’s scared of taking up too much space, and as a result it almost looks like the couch is swallowing him. Despite his curled up posture, his hands flap lightly in his lap, and his left leg bounces, Smash sitting on Bruce’s right side with her head on his non-bouncing leg.“Hi Bruce,” Aaron greets, smiling. “Anything interesting happening in your world over the last two weeks?”





	SDfSH: Bruce in Therapy

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back to the series, or if you're new here, welcome! This is Bruce's part of this particular side series.
> 
> Reading the main series isn't completely necessary, though I do recommend at least reading Bruce's part of the main series, which can be found [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17816567)
> 
> The idea for Smash (and this whole 'verse) was inspired by AO3 user [thingswithwings](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thingswithwings/pseuds/thingswithwings) and their story ["Five Ways to Get In Touch with Your Inner Mild-Mannered Scientist"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/429749?view_adult=true)
> 
> With that said, enjoy!

Smash enters the room first, goes back out to nudge Bruce’s hand, and then she and Bruce enter the room together.

 

“Hi Aaron!” Bruce says, taking a seat on the couch. He sits almost folded in on himself, like he’s scared of taking up too much space, and as a result it almost looks like the couch is swallowing him. Despite his curled up posture, his hands flap lightly in his lap, and his left leg bounces, Smash sitting on Bruce’s right side with her head on his non-bouncing leg.

 

“Hi Bruce,” Aaron greets, smiling. “Anything interesting happening in your world over the last two weeks?”

 

Bruce smiles, nodding. “Yeah! I mean, when aren’t things interesting, I’m in a tower filled with superheroes, but I was working on a new experiment, right, and I’m really, really close to a new breakthrough, and Aaron, I’m telling you, this is going to be so important if it works out, like, there’s so so many applications of this across the board!”

 

As he’s been talking, Bruce’s hands have started to flap more and more, and when Bruce notices, his smile wavers, and he lowers his hands to his lap, stilling his movements.

 

Aaron notices, nodding his head at Bruce’s hands. “You know it’s always okay if you stim, Bruce, not just in here, but always. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

 

Bruce nods jerkily, and taps his fingers on his knees. “Yeah, right. Right. I’m really close on this experiment, I’m really hoping it works out.”

 

Aaron nods. “I’m sure you’ll do great. But how much have you been eating and sleeping the past two weeks?”

 

Bruce pauses, head tilting to the side. “Uhh… I think I’ve eaten at least twice a day? Wait, no, maybe once a day… actually, I can’t remember the last time I ate. And I’ve slept at least a few hours each night, or… no, actually, I think the last time I slept was last Thursday.”

 

Aaron shakes his head. “You’re a science dork, Banner, but you still need to take care of your basic needs, super genius or not.”

 

Bruce nods, smiling a little. “Yeah, I know.”

 

“In that case, why don’t we go make some lunch for the rest of session? Last time I got you to cook, you made a mean chicken curry, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t angling for some of that right now.”

 

Bruce laughs, standing up and following Aaron out to the communal floor kitchen. “Yeah, I can make some. That does sound pretty good.”

 

* * *

 

Despite Bruce’s exceptional control over his emotions, sometimes he still gets triggered faster than he can prevent, or sometimes Hulk just hasn’t fronted in a while and chooses to take over for a little bit, and on occasion, when Bruce has had a really good week, Aaron asks if Bruce would let Hulk front so Aaron can help him process trauma.

 

Bruce, contrary to what most people would think, does not have much to talk about in therapy, because he doesn’t remember much of the trauma from his childhood, with Hulk instead having become the primary trauma holder for him, which means Hulk is the one who often needs help with trauma symptoms.

 

This week, Hulk is already fronting when Aaron shows up for their appointment, JARVIS directing him to the field behind the tower where Hulk and Smash are playing tag, running around each other in circles with Hulk gently touching Smash to tag her and Smash full body slamming into Hulk’s leg to tag him back.

 

“Hi Hulk!” Aaron greets as he approaches, and Hulk looks over, grinning.

 

“Brain man! Play with us?” Smash looks over too, a doggy grin on her face.

 

Aaron shrugs. “Sure! But I’m not a big fan of running. Can we play something calmer?”

 

Hulk grunts. “Sandbox?”

 

“Yep, if you want to,” Aaron says, and Hulk nods, starts heading towards the sandbox Tony had made for him when Aaron had suggested the idea of sand tray therapy for Hulk. The sandbox is the size of a large sand pit that kids could play in, and in the box are random toys and figurines.

 

Smash follows Hulk to the pit, and when Hulk sits cross legged in front of the sandbox, Smash climbs up to sleep draped across his knee, Aaron sitting across from them and watching as Hulk sets up the figures in the box the way he wants them.

 

When Hulk is done, scooting back from the box, Aaron walks around it, taking note of where all the figurines are placed, how they’re posed.

 

“Good job, Hulk,” Aaron says, standing across from Hulk again. “Can you tell me more about the man surrounded by the other figures?”

 

“People like man. He’s smart.”

 

“And why are two of the figures by themselves in opposite corners?”

 

“Because man separate them, and can’t reach. Aren’t liked.”

 

Aaron nods. “Why do you think they’re not liked?”

 

Hulk stares down at his hands, tapping the backs of his hands together lightly. “Don’t listen. Do things they shouldn’t.”

 

“Do you think they’re bad people?”

 

Hulk hesitates, looks up at Aaron, staring at his face and waiting for a second. “No?”

 

Aaron nods. “You’re right, they’re not bad people. Just because people mess up or do things a little differently doesn’t automatically make them bad, and it doesn’t mean they should be hated either. Does that make sense?”

 

Hulk nods, even though his eyebrows furrow like he’s not sure.

 

“Okay. Just remember that, okay?” Aaron pauses, thinking. “So, you’ve been playing with Smash for a while, right? Do you want to eat something?”

 

Hulk perks up, nodding. “Cake?”

 

Aaron laughs. “Yeah, sure. What kind do you like? I’m sure Tony can get you some in minutes.”

 

* * *

 

Bruce and Smash are out at the mall shopping for clothes, because no matter how many times Tony offers to buy custom tailored clothing or design all of Bruce’s clothes himself, Bruce still prefers just being able to wander around and pick out his clothes himself.

 

They’re walking into a store when another service dog team starts to walk out, and Smash gets excited, pulling slightly towards the other dog. Bruce catches her in time, grabs the short leash from on top of Smash’s harness and pulls her into a tighter heel. The other team barely seems to notice, and Bruce sighs in relief.

 

“Okay, we’re not doing that again. Let’s go home, Smash,” Bruce says, turning them back around and heading for the bus stop, because he’s absolutely not going to have Smash distract another team in her excitement.

 

They get home, and Bruce locates one of the other off-duty teams in the tower so Smash can burn some energy with another dog.

 

* * *

 

Task: clearing a room

 

While many of the service animals know how to clear a room for their handlers, Bruce is the only one who uses the command consistently; logically, Bruce knows that he has good control over his and Hulk’s switching, and he knows that he has good control over his emotions most of the time, but his heart still pounds when he goes to enter a room, and having Smash check the room first helps Bruce feel safer, both for himself and others.

 

Bruce watches as Smash steps into the small coffee shop, moving out of sight, then comes back, nudging Bruce’s hand gently. Bruce scratches her lightly behind the ears, and they enter the coffee shop together.

 

Task: summoning help

 

Bruce shivers, curled in on himself in the hallway at SHIELD and unable to move or speak. Just the thought of moving makes his heart race, so he stays where he is, doesn’t make a sound, keeps his face buried in his knees and hopes that the panic goes away.

 

It doesn’t, but he hears the rapid click of nails on the floor, running away. Bruce stays put, focuses on trying to tune out the voice saying “just lie” that keeps switching between a man and a woman’s voice. He can’t tell who they are, can’t focus long enough to pin the voices down, but he knows that he doesn’t want to lie, he can’t, he _can’t_.

 

The click of nails and the heavy sound of footsteps approaches. Bruce flinches as the footsteps stop a few feet away from him, as a warm, heavy presence leans gently against his side.

 

A woman’s voice speaks. “Dr. Banner, it’s Agent Sosa. Smash came to get me. You look frightened.”

 

Bruce nods jerkily, a small movement behind his knees.

 

“Okay. You’re in SHIELD headquarters. I’m guessing you’re having either a panic attack or a flashback. I need you to focus, okay? We’re going to see what we can do to help you through this.”

 

Agent Sosa sits down on the floor across from Bruce, walking him through a series of yes or no questions. It helps Bruce focus, helps him realize what he’s doing and why he’s here, and after 10 minutes of talking Bruce finally looks up from his knees, blinks as his eyes adjust and Agent Sosa comes into view.

 

“Great job, Dr. Banner. Feeling a little better?”

 

Bruce nods, then feels his face heat up with embarrassment at the scene he’s sure he’s made. Agent Sosa just smiles.

 

“I’m glad. Do you think you can make it home from here?”

 

Bruce stands, nodding. Agent Sosa stands as well.

 

“Okay. Be safe, okay?”

 

Bruce nods, and he and Smash head for the bus stop, going home. On the bus, Smash rests her head on Bruce’s lap, and Bruce leans down to plant a kiss on her head, smiling. He’ll have to talk to Natasha later about the whole lying thing, but for now he just wants to rest.

 

Task: blocking

 

Bruce hates being touched. Part of it is because of his trauma; being touched is frightening, it makes him feel vulnerable and causes his heart to pound uncomfortably in his chest. The other part of it is Bruce’s sensory issues, with touch just being far too overwhelming for him, making him restless and leaving his brain screaming in discomfort.

 

So when Bruce is in the kitchen making chile verde at 1am, half asleep from too many hours in the lab, Smash stands behind him, her side resting lightly against the back of Bruce’s legs to let him know that she’s there. Bruce turns, smiles at Tony standing behind him, Diva standing at Tony’s side.

 

“Can’t sleep?” Bruce asks, and Tony nods.

 

“Yeah, rough night. Mind if we join you?”

 

Bruce shakes his head. “Not at all. Chile verde?”

 

“Sure.”

 

Bruce reaches down to pat Smash’s side for a job well done, then turns back to cooking his curry.

 

Task: medication retrieval

 

Usually Bruce is okay, but occasionally the lack of sleep and manic or depressive episodes catch up to him, and the results can vary wildly. Today, the result is the strange shadowy figure standing at the edge of Bruce’s vision, waving occasionally.

 

“Go away,” Bruce mumbles, hunched over the cup of coffee he’s nursing in the lab, but the figure continues to wave, and Bruce sighs, closes his eyes and runs a hand through his hair.

 

He’s still curled up, eyes closed, when there’s a rattling sound and something wet nudges his hand. He opens his eyes and smiles at Smash, takes the pill container from her and swallows one of the pills with a sip of coffee.

 

“Good job,” he says, downing the rest of his cup and standing. “Let’s go to bed, yeah?”

 

Smash trots happily beside him to the bedroom, curling up on the bed beside him.

 

Task: deep pressure therapy

 

Bruce hates crowded events. It’s hot, loud, and there’s always too many people and too much happening for him to keep track of. Pride festivals are no different; and sure, Bruce likes going, he likes the positive energy and comforting feeling of community, but it’s also stressful.

 

He’s just decided that he might need to leave, nails digging into his palms trying to keep it together, when Smash nudges him over to an empty patch of grass, pushing at him until he lays down, Smash draping herself across his body.

 

The weight helps, and Bruce wraps his arms around Smash, steadying his breathing until he no longer feels like he’s suffocating. He scratches Smash behind the ears, tapping her side gently to get her to stand, and then they’re back up and moving, looking around for Steve.

 

Task: anger/anxiety alerts

 

Bruce’s anger and anxiety tend to overlap a lot, and now is one of those times. The team is arguing about the best plan for the current mission, and the more they argue the more frustrated Bruce becomes. He has a good idea for a plan, but Steve, Tony, and Thor won’t shut up long enough to hear him out.

 

“Hey,” he tries again, but no one acknowledges him. Smash paws at his leg, but Bruce ignores her. His input is important this time, he needs them to listen.

 

“Hey!” he shouts, and Tony turns, noticing him even as Steve and Thor continue to argue. “I have an idea,” he says, and Tony nods, turns back to the other two.

 

“Guys, Bruce has something to say,” Tony says, but he’s drowned out by Steve, and Bruce huffs.

 

“Hey! Do either of you know how to shut the fuck up long enough to listen to your own goddamn team, or do you have to keep acting like five year olds?” he snaps, stepping forward and shoving Steve and Thor apart, startling them both enough that they stumble back a step or two.

 

Smash is on Bruce in an instant, pushing him back and whining. Bruce rolls his eyes, even as his heart races.

 

“I need a minute, and then I can tell you how we’re doing this.”

 

Bruce walks away without waiting for a reply, because he needs to get himself under control if he’s going to talk to them calmly.

 

Task: grounding

 

No matter how necessary they are, Bruce has always been uncomfortable in interviews. It feels too much like being asked questions on a witness stand, and interviewers tend to ask Bruce questions that he doesn’t feel safe answering.

 

The interviewer today is smiling kindly, but Bruce doesn’t trust him, doesn’t trust any interviewer.

 

“So, Bruce, your father’s trial is public record. What happened, exactly, in your childhood?”

 

And that’s exactly why Bruce doesn’t trust interviewers.

 

“Well, there was. My father wasn’t. I…” There’s sharp feelings of panic that Bruce can’t identify the source of, and the room starts to blur, everything a rush of confusing stimuli. Smash stands from where she was laying on Bruce’s feet, climbing up to sit on Bruce’s lap and lick his face and hands, putting one paw on Bruce’s chest as if steadying herself.

 

It takes a few minutes for everything to come into focus again, and when it does, Bruce blinks slowly, drops his head to rest his forehead against Smash’s chest. She stops, hopping back off of the chair to lay at Bruce’s feet.

 

Bruce uses his sleeve to wipe off his face, takes off his glasses and cleans them on the hem of his sweater. The interviewer is staring at him, confused, and Bruce stands, Smash standing with him.

 

“I’m not finishing this interview. Have a good day.”

 

Bruce leaves, the interviewer spluttering in the room behind him.

 

Task: modified block; for switching

 

The code green is sudden, and it’s over almost as quickly as it began, so Smash is sent out to help find and calm down Hulk. She finds him easily, and Hulk smiles when he sees her.

 

“Smash!” he calls, dropping one of his hands to rest on the ground. Smash immediately leaps into his hand, bouncing excitedly in his hand as he lifts her up to eye level, Hulk laughing as she licks his face.

 

Hulk pets her head, careful to be as gentle as possible, and then he sets her down again, smiling.

 

“Okay, Banner come back now.” Hulk sits cross legged on the ground, and a moment later he starts to shrink down, leaving Bruce curled up in a heap where Hulk had been. Smash rushes forward, standing over him and looking around, waiting for one of the other Avengers team members to arrive.

 

Bruce starts to wake up just as Clint arrives, carrying a bundle of clothes and Smash’s harness, grinning. “Hey doc, ready to go?”

 

Smash steps off to the side, and Bruce nods, pulling on the clothes while Clint puts on Smash’s harness. “Yeah, thanks Clint. Thanks Smash.”

 

Smash gives Bruce her best doggy grin, dropping into a heel as Bruce grips the handle of her harness and they start the walk home.

 

Task: guiding from environment

 

Bruce is used to people, especially kids, running up to talk to him about Hulk. He’s used to being asked every question from “do you become bulletproof” to “does it hurt,” and he’s used to being asked to do the famous roar, even though he’s not capable of doing it himself. However, he’d at least expected to get asked less questions about Hulk while at a science convention.

 

He’s there as a guest, just curious to see what new things are being invented and worked on in the various fields, and he’s headed to listen to a panel on molecular reconfiguration when someone taps his shoulder from behind.

 

“Dr. Banner?”

 

Bruce turns, head tilted slightly. “Yes?”

 

There’s three men standing behind him, looking like they’re ready to burst with excitement.

 

“Is it true you worked on the gamma radiation projects and that’s what caused the Hulk?” one of them asks, and Bruce shrugs.

 

“Well, I did work on gamma radiation, but that’s not what caused Hulk to exist, if that’s what you’re asking,” he says, and one of the other men nods.

 

“Dr. Banner, isn’t it actually true that you have multiple personalities? And the Hulk is just a violent one?”

 

Bruce’s blood runs cold, and he opens his mouth to answer, only for no sound to come out. It happens, sometimes, usually when Bruce is particularly frightened or overwhelmed, and Bruce curses himself internally, heart starting to pound and thoughts starting to blur as he tries to figure out how to answer, what to do.

 

He doesn’t get much time to worry about it because Smash starts to walk away, pulling Bruce along with her by the handle of her harness. She walks him out of the room entirely, leads him down an empty hallway and then stops, nudging Bruce’s hand with her nose.

 

It takes a few minutes for Bruce to become fully aware of his surroundings again, but when he does, he reaches into his pocket, pulls out one of the treats he keeps in there and gives it to Smash. A check of his watch tells him that the panel he wanted to go to has already started, and Bruce decides against going, heads to the bus stop to go home instead.

 

Task: tiring Hulk

 

On the rare occasions that Hulk fronts outside of battles, he usually has a lot of energy and nothing to do with it, which can make him angry and destructive. They discovered the solution on accident, and have been using it ever since; so when Hulk fronts one day after Bruce accidentally cuts his hand while in the lab, Hulk heads out to the open field Tony had made outside the tower, Smash following behind.

 

Hulk and Smash run in circles around each other, Hulk laughing every time Smash comes close and jumps on his leg or when she dodges out of reach, whole body wagging with enthusiasm as she barks and plays with Hulk.

 

When Hulk’s tired, he lays down on the ground, Smash climbing up to lay on his chest until Hulk falls asleep, Bruce fronting again and taking Hulk’s place, curled up on the ground under a snoozing Smash.

**Author's Note:**

> Some explanations:
> 
> -Bruce's special interest is in science (that's part of what motivated him to get those 7 PhDs).
> 
> -I'm never going to stop yelling about my love for DID Bruce. It's canon and I'll fight. Anyway, so, some DID/OSDD systems are, at least to some extent, able to control who fronts. There are various ways you can help lure an alter to front, or ways you can try to keep yourself grounded so that you stay fronting. These methods can vary wildly based on what works for the individual system/alters. However, fronting can also be involuntary at the most random/unhelpful of times. It just happens.
> 
> -Often in traumagenic systems, certain alters will be "trauma holders," or alters that carry the actual memories of the trauma(s) that caused the system to form in the first place. In Bruce and Hulk's case, I consider Hulk a young (debatably a child) alter who carries the majority of trauma memories. This is why Hulk absorbed the gamma radiation and Bruce didn't, and it's why Hulk is so frequently angry. It's how he reacts to trauma.
> 
> -The scene in which Hulk is using the sandbox, the scene he creates is of Bruce's father (Brian Banner) surrounded by people who like him for his intelligence, with Bruce and his mother (Rebecca Banner) in opposite corners. They're separated because, in 616 canon, Brian killed Rebecca.
> 
> -Sometimes, even fully trained service dogs get excited to see other dogs and react while on duty when they shouldn't. If this happens, it is the handler's responsibility to remove their dog from the public access situation until their dog is calm again.
> 
> -Bruce has an emotional/auditory flashback while at SHIELD involving the phrase "just lie." Going back to 616 canon, after Brian killed Rebecca, he was put on trial, and Bruce was abused into lying on the witness stand and testifying that Brian had never abused him. As a result, the phrase "just lie" kicked off flashbacks to this memory. Natasha is the one who says it, mostly as a joke and not realizing the impact it would have. Bruce does, in fact, talk to her about this later.
> 
> -Psychotic symptoms are a common symptom of many psychiatric disorders, bipolar included. Sleep deprivation can also cause this. This is why Bruce hallucinates the shadowy figure.
> 
> -Sensory issues suck, and they're a common symptom of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We see this a lot with Bruce.
> 
> -Being both anxious and angry in a situation isn't impossible. From personal experience, I can attest to the fact that I once became so frightened and defensive that I lashed out in anger, and less than two minutes later started having a panic attack.
> 
> -Dissociation is weird. Sometimes it feels like you're watching the entire world blur like an out of focus camera lens. Sometimes it feels like your brain is filled with swirling molasses.
> 
> Let me toss out a piece of discourse before I go, since my Bruce in this series is cis aro/ace: cisgender aromantic/asexual folks are queer/LGBTQ+, period, and they belong in the community.
> 
> Bruce/Hulk's dog being named Smash and the original concept for this series comes from AO3 user [ thingswithwings ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thingswithwings/pseuds/thingswithwings) and their story [ "Five Ways to Get In Touch with Your Inner Mild-Mannered Scientist" ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/429749?view_adult=true)
> 
> With all that said, if you want to see more drabbles/notes related to this series or want to talk to me about this series or anything else, you can find me on tumblr [here](https://servicedogsforsuperheroes.tumblr.com/%22)
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!


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